Gene therapy for alleviating erectile dysfunction

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards gene therapy for erectile dysfunction through delivery and expression of a recombinant vector containing a DNA sequence encoding a protein involved in the regulation of smooth muscle tone into a smooth muscle cell. Also provided by the present invention is a method of inducing penile erection in a subject comprising the introduction and expression of a DNA sequence encoding a protein involved in the regulation of smooth muscle tone into a sufficient number of cells of the subject to induce penile erection in the subject. The present invention also provides a recombinant vector comprising the DNA of or corresponding to at least a portion of the genome of a virus, which portion is capable of directing the expression of a DNA sequence, and DNA encoding a protein involved in the regulation of smooth muscle tone operably linked to the viral DNA and capable of being expressed as a functional gene product in the target cell. Also provided by the present invention is a smooth muscle cell which expresses a gene encoding a protein involved in the regulation of smooth muscle tone.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for inducing penile erection in a subject comprising the introduction and expression of a DNA sequence encoding a maxi-K potassium channel protein into a sufficient number of penile cells of the subject to induce penile erection in the subject. 
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cell is a corporal smooth muscle cell or an arterial smooth muscle cell. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 1, wherein the DNA sequence is introduced by naked DNA transfer. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 1, wherein the DNA sequence is genomic DNA or cDNA. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 1, wherein the subject has erectile dysfunction. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim 5, wherein the erectile dysfunction results from incomplete relaxation of smooth muscle. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim 5, wherein the erectile dysfunction results from neurogenic dysfunction. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim 5, wherein the erectile dysfunction results from arteriogenic dysfunction. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim 5, wherein the erectile dysfunction results from veno-occlusive dysfunction.